4. The Journey Begins

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It had been five days since Daisy had been free of her disowned parent at the orphanage she stayed in her whole life. She had her book and money kept safe in that bag the doctor had given her. She took one last look at her bedroom, then turned. The orphanage was closed, but for a temporary amount of time. She had on her late father's hat, followed by western gear and belt that held her gun, bullets, and pocket knife over her blue jeans. She also had on a blue buttoned shirt and brown boots. She had used all her parents' savings for not only this, but for a horse that stood outside. It was a brown bay horse, all dressed in saddle and bridle. "Ready to go, Dollar?" Daisy asked, rubbing her horse's soft coated neck. She then put her foot in the stirrup, before swinging herself in the saddle. She gestured, and her horse galloped, going west. For days and nights, she traveled in search for the solution to the foundation of the orphanage. During the ride, she thought of Meredith, who had remained at Federal Marshall and would for the rest of her life. It was in a forest of Grant, Arkansas, two days after her departure from Batesville. Her horse walked steadily through the thin and thick of the trees. She was checking a map, as of means of reaching her next destination. The leaves were turning slowly from spring green to the fall, bright yellow and orange. Daisy's next stop was downtown Grant, Arkansas. She couldn't be too far off. She was sweaty, dehydrated, and exhausted. She pulled her horse up, as she saw a little stream nearby. She dismounted, immediately collapsing on her knees. She used her hands to spray the water on her face, then drink from it. To her surprise, her horse joined her. It was turning from hot to warm, when it came to cold fresh river water. This was harder than she appeared to expect, but this was worth the money she only hoped to receive. It was now dusk, which meant soon enough, shelter had to be looked for. After a short while, she mounted and quietly continued the ride. Through the trees, she saw clouds that were shaped like riders on their horses. Ghost riders. If one of them had been wanted, then this meant more than one thing; they were immortal. Daisy had heard if a rider had died, they'd become a ghost and ride along with the lord himself and his team of immortal riders. Daisy saw lights up ahead, and she breathed of relief, knowing she was close to the town of Grant. She let Dollar gallop, until it was on the edge of Grant. She rode silently into town, seeing only but a few men occupying a building in sight. As much as she didn't know the population, she knew those men like outlaws were here. As she was around the corner, she gestured 'whoa' to her horse and Dollar halted. She saw what seemed like a group of men standing up front of a building, and on the porch stood an elderly man, seemingly in his mid seventies, sandwiched between two younger ones. "You wanted to talk to us, Mr. Harrison?" One of the men asked. "Well, it's for a good cause," answered the old man. "I, Slim James Harrison, am the richest man in Grant. There is a ghost rider looking towards the dirt, not the skies." Hearing this, Daisy knew that she wasn't the only one who heard tales about the ghost riders. This elderly man was looking forward to capturing this mystery rider as well. Over this territory alone, the ghost riders were indeed looking for who was most important to them. Even if they weren't watching, Daisy could still feel the gut wrenching feeling pump in her stomach. "If all of you have heard, this rider is worth one grand amount of cash," she heard Slim go on. "If one finds him first, the money goes to them."
"If this rider is here," the man standing beside him replied. "He could be anywhere. We can't catch him that easy." Slim shook his head. "No. Cody, if you were to catch the rider and get the reward, what would you have become?"
"Rich and become Governor of Arkansas." Cody Lonergan was only a young man, a few years older than Daisy, and governor was a big possibility, but responsibility. "Oh, my God," muttered Slim. "You think you know what to do." He turned to the rest of his men. "Any more thoughts?" No one answered, followed by Slim nodding. "Well, then." He paused, turning to the right. From such a long distance, Daisy could see what seemed like torches getting bigger and bigger. "Those are not one of ours," Slim mused. At the sight of stampede, Daisy slowly reached for her revolver, but not just yet did she pull it. "It's a lynch mob!" Cody yelled.

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